Industrial security - Round table discussions

The economic outlook for the year ahead is uncertain at best. Multiple lingering issues are in play, such as inflation, supply chain challenges, global instability, and a changing workforce. But to what extent does a shaky economy equate to a slowdown in the security market? We asked this week’s Expert Panel Roundtable: How does the wider economic climate impact the market for security products and services?

There’s always more to talk about in our Expert Panel Roundtable discussions, and we appreciate the variety of opinionated responses offered throughout the year. Looking back at 2022, we found several random and uncategorized Expert Panel responses that were not previously published. We have rescued these responses from our cutting-room floor and present them here in the interest of generating even more discussion.

As much as we each seem to live in our own bubble, the reality is that everything is connected and we are all part of a greater whole. So it is with the security market, which can be both inward-focused and also play a role in the bigger societal picture. A couple of recent questions we posed to the Expert Panel Roundtable highlight how the security market can and should interact with society in general.

A multi-factor authentication is a layered approach that requires users to provide two or more verification factors, such as credentials, to gain access to data and applications. If one of the credentials is compromised, the thinking goes, an unauthorized user will still be unable to meet the second authentication requirement and will be denied access to a targeted physical space, computing device, network, or database. Cybersecurity applications have long embraced the idea of MFA, which is also...

With 2023 well underway, it’s a good time to look back on what we learned in the tumultuous previous year. In the security marketplace, there was no shortage of technology developments and a few challenges that kept 2022 interesting, to say the least. But what can we learn from the past? We asked this week’s Expert Panel Roundtable: What changes had the biggest impact on the security marketplace in 2022?

Some trends in the security marketplace continue for several years, while others come and go quickly and are soon forgotten. Scrutinizing a trend’s expected lifespan can help predict its impact on the marketplace. Trends that evaporate seemingly overnight are not useful for the greater good, and they can also distract customers from more enduring subjects. Unfortunately, sometimes hype is just hype. We asked this week’s Expert Panel Roundtable: Which new security trend do you think w...

Security and privacy are often seen as being at odds. In effect, you must have less of one in order to get more of the other. However, newer technologies are eliminating the need to make such a difficult choice. Innovation is paving the way for greater security and protection in a climate where privacy concerns are also paramount. We asked this week’s Expert Panel Roundtable: How can security address individual privacy concerns while increasing protection?

Like any year, 2022 was full of surprises for the physical security industry. Adapting to supply chain shortages, lightning-fast technology development, and changing occupancy patterns in a shifting labor market were just a few of the factors that kept security professionals guessing in 2022. Wonder what the new year will hold? We asked this week’s Expert Panel Roundtable: What will be the biggest surprise for security in the year ahead (2023)?

As cloud-based systems become more common, Video Surveillance as a Service (VSaaS) is becoming mainstream in the physical security marketplace. There are certainly benefits for manufacturers and end users, but we asked our Expert Panel Roundtable to focus on the benefits to the dealer channel. We asked this week’s Expert Panel Roundtable: What is the impact of video surveillance as a service (VSaaS) on security integrators?

The holiday season is marked by festive spirit and family celebrations, but it is also the busiest time of year for retailers. Busy shoppers willing to spend money are an upside to the holiday shopping season, and many businesses depend on the holiday rush as a critical element to having a successful year. A downside of a busy holiday season is an increase in retail security threats including shoplifting. We asked this week’s Expert Panel Roundtable: How can technology address loss prevent...

Obtaining needed funding for security technology improvements often requires going to senior management with a hat in hand. But requests for more security funding from the C-suite may fall on deaf ears unless a security professional can make a compelling case for the needed expenditures. It starts with learning to speak in terms that resonate with upper management and also involves carefully analyzing the benefits of security investments to the broader enterprise. We asked this week’s Expe...

Generally speaking, security becomes a topic of conversation among the general public only after something bad has happened. The context in these situations is: What went wrong? Largely absent from awareness by the public at large is how often things go right; that is, how often security systems work as intended to avoid expensive or even deadly consequences. We asked this week’s Expert Panel Roundtable: How can the industry communicate the value of security to the public?

Robots have been used in security patrol applications for decades, although developments in artificial intelligence (AI), video analytics, sensors and communications are expanding robot capabilities to new heights. Suddenly, robots are the latest thing in security. In addition, drones have become ubiquitous for numerous applications, including security. We wondered how well the security industry is embracing these newer technologies. We asked this week’s Expert Panel Roundtable: What impac...

The security trade show season is resuming this fall with the GSX show in the United States and Security Essen in Germany, among other upcoming industry events. The return of trade shows is gathering momentum following the COVID lockdowns and cancellations with plenty more shows coming soon. But how useful is attending industry trade shows? We asked this week’s Expert Panel Roundtable: What do you accomplish by attending a security industry show?

With the worst of the COVID pandemic’s impact behind us, most would agree that the security industry was transformed by the interlude, as were most other elements in our society. But what will be the lasting impact on the security market – positive or negative? We asked this week’s Expert Panel Roundtable: Is post-pandemic security more effective than pre-pandemic security? How?

Security is critical in the government sector, as much as any other vertical. Successful systems must promote public safety while also facing onerous requirements when it comes to cybersecurity. From a global perspective, the world seems less safe than ever before, suggesting an even greater role for security technologies. We asked this week’s Expert Panel Roundtable: How can security address the challenges of the government market?

Six months can go by in the blink of an eye. In 2022, it almost seems as if it has. Here we are already at mid-year after what has been an eventful six months for the security marketplace. There is still a lot ahead in 2022 for the industry, and our Expert Panel Roundtable has been considering what the coming months might hold in terms of technology change. We asked this week’s panelists: What will likely be the most important technology development in the security marketplace in the secon...

The buzzwords in security provide a decent parallel to the technology advancements in our industry. Over the years, our language has evolved to encompass new concepts that have transformed our business. Buzzwords can sometimes be dismissed as overblown compared to the current state of the technology, or even as marketing hype. But the language we use to describe the industry’s technologies often reflect our changing marketplace. Sometimes the challenge is keeping up with the latest buzz. W...

It’s safe to say there has been more change in the workplace in the last two years than ever before. Driven by the pandemic, technology has both allowed greater flexibility for employees and enabled continuing prosperity for many companies that otherwise would have had to cease operation. But have security protocols and practices done enough to enable companies to keep pace with the changes? We asked this week’s Expert Panel Roundtable: Have security protocols and practices kept up w...

Any marketplace tends to emphasize the newest technologies and products. Confirming the trend is the perpetual rush to buy the latest iPhone. But some legacy products are so good and perform the required functions so well that users may stick with the “tried-and-true.” But does staying with yesterday’s technology suggest a missed opportunity to leverage new product features and benefits? We asked this week’s Expert Panel Roundtable: What is the security market’s app...

It’s a debate almost as old as the security industry itself: open systems versus end-to-end solutions. The argument goes that end-to-end solutions from a single manufacturer tend to “lock in” an end-user to a certain company’s technology platform. In contrast, open systems offer greater flexibility over the long haul. However, the popularity of end-to-end solutions suggests a healthy continuing market for these systems. We asked this week’s Expert Panel Roundtable:...

Can we finally relax a little and announce that the pandemic is nearing an end? With all the false starts and stops, it’s understandable if uncertainty continues to be the dominant force. The apprehension that ruled at every stage continues even as the pandemic (hopefully) ends. But what about ‘the new normal?’ How will the industry need to reinvent itself in the post-pandemic world? We asked this week’s Expert Panel Roundtable: As the industry transitions back to in-pers...

Among the technologies widely used in the world of security, none is more fraught with privacy concerns than biometrics. However, sometimes the privacy concerns are based more on false information than on facts. Privacy must be addressed, of course, but the industry should also promote greater understanding of the technology as a means of combatting misinformation. We asked this week’s Expert Panel Roundtable: What are the biggest misconceptions surrounding biometrics? What is the impact?

We appreciate the variety of opinionated discussions offered throughout the year by our Expert Panel Roundtable. Looking back at 2021, we found some random and uncategorized Expert Panel responses that were not previously published. We have rescued these responses from our cutting-room floor and present them here in the interest of generating even more discussion.

As security professionals, one of our goals is a continuous improvement when it comes to protecting people, facilities, and assets. A useful tool for continuous improvement is to apply ‘lessons learned’ in the past to challenges in the future. Because 2021 will be remembered as a challenging and eventful year for all of us, let’s consider what we can learn from the experiences of 2021. We asked this week’s Expert Panel Roundtable: What security lessons did we learn during...

Environmental concerns and ‘green’ initiatives have been gaining steam recently with increasing attention to issues, such as climate change and the drive to ‘net zero’ emissions. Sustainability has not historically been a big concern in the physical security market, but the times are changing. We asked this week’s Expert Panel Roundtable: How can the security industry be more environmentally friendly and contribute to sustainability?

The transportation industry is unique because it plays a role in both the minutiae of everyday life and the overall economy's well-being. Providing uninterrupted and efficient transportation services depends heavily on the safety and security of transportation entities. Due to the vast amount of people frequenting transit stations and the importance of the items on ships and ferries, the transportation sector faces multiple challenges that evolve as the industry advances. We asked this week&rsqu...

Here’s a news flash: 2022 will be a pivotal year for the security industry. As we enter the new year, continuing change is a safe prediction for any fast-moving, technology-driven marketplace. Recent history confirms the ability of the security industry to shift and adapt to changing conditions and to provide an ever-expanding menu of technology solutions to make the world a safer place. Given that the new year will bring change, what will that change encompass? More to the point, what sho...

The COVID-19 pandemic has complicated the task of securing hospitals and healthcare facilities by adding new concerns about disease transmission to the long list of other threats healthcare security professionals face. Hospital security must also crack the code to both allow open public access to healthcare facilities while keeping out violence and other security threats. We asked this week’s Expert Panel Roundtable: What are the security challenges of the healthcare industry?   

Sadly, active shooter incidents have become so common that they no longer grab big headlines or dominate the news cycle. A near-constant cascade of active shooter events persists in the background of our collective consciousness, a familiar drumbeat that is no less tragic because it is continuous. As more active shooter incidents occur, the security marketplace continues to implement solutions to minimize the impact, including gunshot detection. We asked this week's Expert Panel Roundtable: What...